Suddenly, it’s… November. Where has the time gone? We loved spending the beginning of the fall season foraging in the PNW for mushrooms and have had home cooking on our minds lately as we approach the holiday season. Swapping seasonal lighter foods for heartier and warmer meals can mean a more overwhelming kitchen space, more appliances, more ingredients, and the need to simplify.

taking stock

It’s moving and holiday cooking that always makes us realize just how much stuff we have going on in our kitchen. Some of these items are used every day, others every few weeks, and some only come out on special occasions. From spice cabinets to special ingredient cabinets, to everyday appliances and cooking tools and specialty ones, kitchens tend to have a lot of stuff (and let’s be honest if it has been a while since we have done a kitchen edit, do we even know everything that is hiding in our cupboards?)

Whether you are a holiday fanatic, or just attend and/or host a lot of get together with friends and family as the year comes to a close, the kitchen will likely play a starring role, so why not give it that extra sparkle, and ease to make the time that much more enjoyable?

Here is where we recommend you go by category. Break the task down into more digestible pieces, you can even split the sections up over a few days or weeks and just do a category as you have time, depending on the needs of your social calendar.

Some categories to keep in mind:

• Spices

• Baking

• Specialty Ingredients

• Beverages (Teas and coffee)

• Daily dishware and appliances

• Specialty dishes and appliances

• Cooking and serving utensils

• Storage solutions

In a lot of kitchens, these categories are like things that are stored together and in places that are aligned with the regularity of their use, which is why playing off of these categories will make tackling this project a little easier on the mind, and time commitment, allowing you to pursue sections one by one, as clusters, or all in one shot if you’re feeling motivated. The categories also in theory shouldn’t leave your kitchen in complete disarray if something arises that calls your attention elsewhere mid-project

Going through each category, the goal is to assess what you have, see what has expired or needs replacing, what may be broken or in disrepair, and ultimately find out what you really need for the season. The best way to start this process is to give yourself a clean slate. Pull all of the items from your first chosen category out onto the counter, wipe down the shelves, put things into categories, and take note of any issues in the previous storage solution.

Spice cabinet

A spice cabinet is a great example to go off of here. Depending on your cooking style, every home uses different spices more routinely, and the spices we gravitate towards can shift with the season as well. The lighter citrus and fragrant herbs of Summer are often shifted for the fuller and more comforting ones of Fall and Winter such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Rosemary. Go through your spices, are the bottles and jars with proper seal? Are they still good? Do you have duplicates of anything that could be condensed? Are there spices that stand out right away as needing replacement? Toss any spices that are spoiled or empty, making note of those that will need replacing on your grocery list. Now it’s time to think about the season ahead. Are there traditional dishes you make each year that you have a list of ingredients for? Are there new recipes you’ve saved to make? While there are numerous ways you could go about this, the method we recommend is to make a spice cabinet cheat sheet with three columns and document what you currently have, what you know you need to buy, and leave space in the third column for ingredients for recipes that will come up. This will help prevent any grocery store mishaps or multiple runs.

Now that you have your cabinet cleaned out, spices itemized, and ready to return to their rightful place, think about if there are organizational needs for this space that could optimize use. Would risers help you read labels better? Would tiered shelves help maximize space? Or are you happy with the function of things as they are? If you would like to make changes or improvements we highly recommend visiting our products list for some recommendations, taking any necessary measurements, and then putting the items back in a way that is functional until you obtain your new organizational piece(s).

pick the next category + repeat

The process for your next categories should follow suit. Take the category out of its storage space, clean the cabinet or drawer, wipe down the items, look for broken or missing pieces, items that are used up or have gone bad, things that you can condense, and think about your weeks ahead. Another great example is the daily use and specialty appliances. Are all of the appliances you have in current working condition? Are there broken pieces that need replacement? Have you outgrown the use of an appliance and need to trade it in for something that will function better with your space and stage of life? Is there a recipe that requires something specific that you can make do without or will a new tool need to be purchased? The column cheat sheet works great here as well. You can have a column for functional, needs repair or replacement, and a column for anything new. Before putting your appliances back where they belong, think in a similar way as you did with the spices. Does the placement and organization for all of these items still make sense? Should some items be put into storage? Are there pieces you will be using more often over the next few weeks? This is the perfect time to make those changes so that when you’re in crunch time on a recipe or in the middle of an event or dinner, you will be less likely to be scrambling and stressed in your space.

Recipe planning and org

Something good to think about during this season is what types of planning can be done to ensure smooth shopping trips, and limiting excess when possible. A lot of recipes in this season have similar ingredients and themes, so when it comes to the new recipes we’ve been eyeing, are there ingredients that will need to be purchased specially or do we have good substitution options? Ingredients can get expensive, and often can lead to unintentional waste when it on;y gets used once or twice for the season.

Some ideas to creatively combat this are to connect with friends and family about recipes they are making and see what special ingredients others have on their lists, are there any that multiple people need and could be shared? Check out the bulk bins at your local grocery stores and see what offerings they have and often times you can get more flexible quantities and pricing this way. This is also a great time to connect with those in your life who have dietary restrictions while thinking about recipes ahead, are there ingredients you have questions about as being safe foods? Are there edits or substitutions that could be made to those ingredients that are potentially things you already have?

On a fun note, save your notes! Save the list of recipes, and ingredients (both regular and specialty), notes on the recipes you want to make, and after testing write the date and notes on how it turned out or any substitutions or modifications. Not only will this aid in next year’s holiday cooking and kitchen prep process, but it will become a reflective journal of the period and can be fun to look back on in seasons to come.